Provincial Museum of Prince Edward Island

Capital Lobbies for Provincial Museum

2009-10-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

WAYNE THIBODEAU
As published by The Guardian, Oct 15, 2009

The City of Charlottetown is joining a growing list of Prince Edward Island municipalities that want to be home to a proposed provincial museum.

During a meeting of Charlottetown city council on Tuesday, Coun. Kim Devine commended the provincial government for deciding to build a new provincial museum.

Devine said she plans on outlining Charlottetown’s case to the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour. She said Charlottetown’s proposal would be “sustainable, feasible and a very appropriate location” that would provide year-round traffic to the museum.

“We are a city that has a rich history,” Devine told councillors.

Charlottetown’s pitch is that it is a capital city for the whole province, the centre with the largest population, as well as a well-established tourist destination.

The capital city says locating the provincial museum in Charlottetown would enhance other cultural centres in the city, including the Confederation Centre of the Arts, as well as strengthen existing historical resources, including the Public Archives located in the Coles Building.

Charlottetown isn’t the only municipality looking to be home to the provincial museum.

The Town of Stratford also wants the honour.

But the capital city may have an edge in the competition.

A firm specializing in planning and designing museums has completed a study looking at the possibility of converting the vacant Dominion Building on Queen Street into a provincial museum.

Lundholm Associates carried out the study for Canada Lands Company, the company that has control of the Dominion Building.

But Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram said Wednesday no decision has been made on a location for a provincial museum. She did say the province is committed to creating a “centrally located” provincial museum.

“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the upcoming process,” Bertram said last November.

Last November the provincial government said it was going to build a provincial museum.

But it may be years yet before construction actually begins. While a provincial museum has been promised, no money has been budgeted for the project.

The former government had promised to build a provincial artifactory in Murray River. The $4.9-million project would have housed more than 80,000 items that are currently being stored at the West Royalty Industrial Park.

But the Liberal government killed those plans, agreeing with some history buffs that Murray River was too far off the beaten track to house the facility.

Devine said creating a provincial museum to interpret and celebrate the Island’s history is long overdue.

“We are currently the only province that does not have a provincial museum,” said Devine. “But we are a province that is rich in its history.”

Let's build a provincial museum

2009-10-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian September 26, 2009

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor:

If 'location' is the watchword of the real estate industry, so timing is everything when it comes to heritage. Last year, the provincial government announced its commitment to the construction of a central museum complex to complete the provincial museum system that was begun in 1973. That system was created by a provincial government committed to preserving the Island's heritage and funded in large measure by federal monies made available to mark the centennial of Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation.

The provincial museum system, preserving and interpreting the Island's past for Islanders and visitors, became the chief legacy of our centennial year.

Another anniversary now nears. The year 2014 will mark the sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, now recognized as a critical milestone on the road to Confederation. In the early 1960s, Ottawa formally recognized the centennial of the conference as the launching pad for the celebration of Canada's centennial and invested the remarkable sum - for that time - of $2.8 million to help a citizens' group fund a national shrine in downtown Charlottetown to the Fathers of Confederation. That "living memorial", the Confederation Centre of the Arts, has become an architectural landmark, cultural mecca and tourism anchor in the province.

In a small province with limited resources, where it always costs us proportionately more to keep up with the Joneses, 2014 offers a rare and wonderful opportunity. Why not use this 'one-of' funding opportunity to create another cultural legacy that will enrich the lives of Islanders, both present and future? Let's use the special funding opportunity of the upcoming sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference to complete the task begun so bravely in 1973 by building a state-of-the-art provincial museum to complement the provincewide network of small, theme museums that currently exist. If not now, will we have to wait until the bicentennial before there is another such chance?

Edward MacDonald,

Provincial museum acquires Trueman Pate collection of oil lamps

2009-10-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian on Sept 29, 2009
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian

The Trueman Pate Lamp Collection has been added to the provincial museum collection.

The Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, along with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, announced the acquisition and said the addition is thanks to the generosity of Hyndman & Company Ltd., The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and the family of Trueman Pate.

“This group of lamps is thought to be the largest museum collection of its kind in the country and the museum is proud to have it as part of the provincial collection,” said David Keenlyside, executive director of P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.

The Pate Collection was the lifelong passion of Trueman Pate from Summerside, who amassed a large number of beautiful oil lamps over many years. It was his wish that the approximately 570 lamps stay together on P.E.I.

After an exhibit of the collection at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in 2008, negotiators began investigating the possible acquisition of the entire lamp collection by the P.E.I. Museum. A government news release says it would not have been possible without Pate’s tenacious collecting spirit and his family’s kind offer to help make his lifelong interest a part of the provincial museum collection for Islanders now and always.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Hyndman & Company and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company made a significant donation to the P.E.I. Museum in order to assist in the acquisition of the Pate lamp collection.

“Hyndman & Company Ltd. and Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company are pleased to fund the acquisition by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation of The Trueman Pate Collection of lamps and lanterns to become part of their permanent collection for the benefit of future generations,” said a company representative.

On the Net: www.peimuseum.com

Architect sparks excitement about bid for museum in Stratford

2009-10-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

as published by The Guardian on Oct 1, 2009
NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

Passion and excitement swept through a meeting in Stratford Wednesday as the town pushes on with a bid to have a new P.E.I. museum on its waterfront.

An informal committee of interested people, led by Stratford deputy mayor Sandy McMillan, has for the past few days been hosting one of the world’s most famous architects, Douglas Cardinal.

He spoke at a public meeting attended by nearly 50 people at Stratford Town Hall Wednesday. Afterwards, the excitement was palpable.

Edward Rice presented his enthusiasm for the project to area MLA Cynthia Dunsford and Mayor Kevin Jenkins.

“All inclusiveness, the inspiration of a new building that is allowed to be free, to be formed, something new and imaginative, the site — which I think is ideal — somebody put all this together and that hasn’t happened in Charlottetown,” said Rice.

Cardinal spoke of the need for strong, determined vision and commitment to make projects happen even when it seems unlikely. He persevered for many of his renowned, curving structures, be it the National Museum of the American Indian on the Washington Mall beside the Capitol, or a northern Canadian hospital combining aboriginal and western medicine.

“It takes imagination, which everything starts with, your vision, your belief, and (Cardinal) brought that to us tonight,” said Rice. “Somebody somewhere in this group had the brains to put that together. They have a bid committee. Where are the rest of the few communities that could be interested? I see big players here and big dreamers too.

“Remember Frank MacKinnon built Confederation Centre of the Arts on a dream, with not a . . . hope . . . of getting a dime to do that, and he and a few other people did it. Not that I agree with it.”

Jordan Brown is the unofficial co-chair and sometime spokesperson for the Stratford museum bid committee. He lives in Frenchfort but was impressed with the idea of Stratford being home to a P.E.I. museum. He knows that the current town sewage lagoon will have to be moved if the museum is to occupy the open waterfront space south of the Hillsborough Bridge approaches.

“From a provincial perspective it makes so much sense to have it there, it is almost nonsensical to think of it being any place else,” said Brown.

He invited any interested Islander to contact him, McMillan or the Stratford town office to volunteer for the growing ad hoc museum committee.

“Government right now has announced its intention to build this museum and is currently undertaking a study . . . to define the scope of the museum, where it would go, what kind of facility it would need, parking, etc.,” said Brown. “Like (Cardinal) said here tonight, we have stated our intention that we want it here, now we are enrolling the people to do that.”

“The first step is to declare a very powerful intention,” said Cardinal in his address Wednesday.

Then it must be nurtured, he said.

“When you state your word, and you say it in a powerful way, the hardest thing is to keep your word because human beings have a whole bunch of agendas going on in their heads,” said Cardinal. “To bring a vision into reality, you keep your word, you keep your intentions pure which requires an unwavering commitment. You operate by commitment, rather than fear.

“Fear keeps us powerless and small and collapse the power of our intention.”

See public responses to this article at the Guardian site.

Give Island children, and visitors, a place to discover

2009-04-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Commentary
GUEST OPINION
PAMELA KORITANSKY
as published in The Guardian, March 24, 2009

I have returned to P.E.I. to raise a family after several years of being away. Since returning I have often heard it said that P.E.I. is the ideal place to raise a family. This has given me reason to wonder if this is really true.

My husband and I and our children recently took a trip to Portland, Maine and while there visited a "children's museum." The museum was an interactive discovery centre that engaged children in exploring and discovering lots of interesting things about the way the world works: how wind affects the movement of balls, how gravity affects different objects and what the inside of the space shuttle looks like. It afforded our children the opportunity to step inside a life-size fire engine and press buttons and see lights flash, to walk through a child-size storefront, take out money at an imitation ATM machine, pretend to be a veterinarian at the child-size clinic complete with stuffed animals in need of medical attention, and a tree for climbing, to mention only a few. It was a welcome place to visit as a family where we could explore and run around indoors on a cold February day. It was open every day, all day and offered a variety of really great programs for children of all ages.

My children are preschool-aged and I have found it difficult to find things to do with them and as a family here on P.E.I. We love being outdoors and enjoy all the excellent parks in Charlottetown, but often find ourselves "stuck" indoors due to weather that is too harsh for preschool children. We do enjoy visits to the CARI pool and the library, but apart from time and day specific playgroups there is no facility (to my knowledge) that families can visit together for children to run, play and discover.

It seems to me that as a family-friendly tourist destination, Charlottetown would be proud to add to its repertoire a state-of-the-art children's discovery centre that would beckon families to visit here year round. It would be an asset to many of the already popular Island festivals for families and children, and would not be dependent on the weather.

I just recently read the Island prosperity plan and couldn't be more convinced that an essential part of "creating a brighter future" and "investing in the people" is to build a place for children to explore, learn and discover. An interactive discovery centre or museum like the one I visited in Portland would promote creativity and a love of learning among Island children. The exhibits and displays could inspire Island children with ideas about renewable resources like wind energy and aquaculture innovations. I would love to see federal infrastructure money and provincial spending delegated to a project like this. With all the plans for a bioresearch park in place, perhaps the government should consider integrating an investment in the futures of Island children by committing to establish a children's discovery centre in Charlottetown as a part of this innovative plan.

The City of Charlottetown and the province would do well to put its heart, soul and resources into supporting a children's discovery centre because it would be an investment in the prosperity of Island families and that is an investment worth making.

A children's discovery centre would give families a destination to be together and "take 30 for the family." It would be an attraction for any family contemplating moving to P.E.I. as well as retaining Islanders who live here now and are starting their families. Not to mention the fact that this discovery centre could be a real meeting place for Islanders and newcomers alike to share in the joy and delight of their children learning and discovering together.

Where much can be said of P.E.I. being a great place to raise a family (relatively low cost of living, friendly, safe, etc...) we should not let that stop us from finding a way to make our Island even more family-friendly for residents and visitors alike.

Pamela Koritansky is a native Islander. After years of travel and study abroad, she came back to P.E.I. and earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science at UPEI in May 2003. She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children, aged 2 1/2 years and six months.

Children's museum worth supporting

2009-04-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

As published in The Guardian - March 26, 2009

Editor:

I wish to wholeheartedly agree with the views expressed in the guest opinion 'Give Island children, and visitors, a place to discover' (The Guardian, March 24, 2009)

I have long held the view that a children's science museum here on the Island would be magnificent legacy to the Island's children. It could be a place of intellectual exploration, an introduction to important basic scientific ideas, and an enjoyable learning and entertainment experience for all Island children.

I lived in Sudbury when Science North was developed, and visit grandchildren in Vancouver where there is always a visit to the Children's Science Museum on our schedule. These museums are staffed mostly by volunteer retired citizens who have backgrounds in science and engineering, and who are wonderful learning conduits for the children who attend.

A children's science museum - with both basic scientific displays and changeable exhibits - would be useful to every school class on the Island as well as a unique tourist feature during the summer months. This is an idea which looks to the future and would help all Island students. Advancing this as a public project would be a refreshing change from some of the tired and fruitless programs that are funded from time to time here on the Island.

Michael Ross (P. Eng, Retired),

Stratford

The old, threadbare Dominion Building

2009-03-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR as published in The Guardian, Feb 24, 2009
Editor:

The ease with which some folks are ready to spend other people's money can be breathtaking. Take, for example, the old Dominion Building.

Here's a dated structure that federal government tenants began abandoning years ago. There are rumours the old building is loaded with asbestos insulation. There is also talk the aged structure is unstable, which accounts for the braces on the exterior. An energy audit would almost certainly produce a failing grade. Despite these warning signs, there are some folks who want taxpayers to plow as much as $30 million into the salvage of this worn-out hand-me-down.

Here's the question. Is the Dominion Building worth saving? The architectural design is uninspiring. It can't qualify as a heritage property. And the structure has problems, which will be staggeringly expensive to fix.

By contrast, the estimated cost of demolition is about $2 million. Then what? Islanders can seize the opportunity to create something important and exciting and new on the site of something old and threadbare and lamentable.

Aubrey Bell,

New London

A cultural complex in the Dominion Building

2009-02-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

Opinion - as published in The Guardian on Feb 2, 2009

Now that the federal stimulus budget has been passed, let's not forget our government's promise of a new provincial museum. Since a potential location and edifice already exist in the form of the Dominion Building, the Island has a project that is far beyond 'shovel ready'.

The 176,000 square feet of this six-storey structure would provide an ideal location for a provincial museum of culture and nature, with space for a children's museum, as well as for the provincial archives and library. A purpose-built institution may be an ideal, but it would cost more and take longer to realize than recycling an older building.

Many successful museums and cultural complexes have been created in structures where money was spent not on their site or their construction but on their renovation. The Dominion Building's need of new windows, humidity controlled areas and a serious facelift are not unusual ones.

Successful renovations of older structures are too numerous to list but an exemplary one was the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. The institution grew out of an old bakery made of steel and concrete to become one of Canada's most popular museums during the 1970s and 1980s. Others include a 19th-century prison recently integrated into Quebec's provincial art museum, and an old train station transformed into the Quai D'Orsay, one of the most talked about art galleries in Paris.

The large Dominion Building can accommodate a comprehensive museum, the provincial archives and library and their collections. Centralizing these institutions would facilitate synergies between archivists, curators and librarians and create much-needed efficiencies in space, equipment and personnel. The building could also support complementary educational and entertainment facilities for community and special events.

A cultural centre in a renovated space could work well for teachers, as object-based learning is an excellent complement to that found in schools. Partnerships between the Confederation Centre, the Arts Guild and the MacKenzie Theatre would facilitate the creation of a cultural cluster and in so doing increase educational, leisure and commercial activities for everyone.

The economic and socio-cultural impact of museums and libraries on the revitalization of cities is well documented. Examples include new museums and libraries in Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vancouver, Hull, Montreal and Quebec City. As more residents and tourists are drawn to these institutions, the surrounding neighbourhoods are transformed.

For Charlottetown, the creative use of the Dominion Building would do much more than help counter the flight of businesses from the downtown core.

The creation of a cultural complex and cluster in our capital will create an ambient area where people will converge, where creativity and knowledge will abound, and where business will thrive. As people learn more about the full scope of Island history, they would be directed to regional centres that possess additional artifacts and information concerning different facets of our past and present. A central cultural complex would act as a lead institution, providing leadership, as well as better access to advice, support and training for professionals and volunteers.

As Catherine Hennessey wrote in a recent article of The Island Magazine, people have been dreaming of and planning for a provincial museum since the 1880s. Isn't it time for our governments to seize the occasion to provide Islanders with a dynamic facility that connects them with each other, as well as to their pasts and future?

Terry Ruddel is a former curator of the National Museums of Canada and a former director of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto. He is presently working on the history of blacksmiths in Victoria.

Stratford waterfront a perfect site for provincial museum

2009-01-28T06:20:00.000-08:00

Letter to Editor published by The Guardian - January 28, 2009
by DOUG KELLY

I have read with interest your recent articles and letters regarding a site for a provincial heritage museum. I must say that I am in agreement that a museum must interpret the story of P.E.I. by showcasing both our natural and human heritage.

If a museum is to accomplish these goals, and draw Islanders and tourists alike, refurbishing an old, surplus building would not be the way to proceed. The old Dominion Building in Charlottetown was an office building, and would be a poor fit for a museum.

While no expert, I do think that a purpose-built building would be required given the strict environmental controls needed for an artifactory and provincial archives. I am quite sure that among the goals the province might have for investing in a provincial museum, finding a use for surplus office buildings is not among them. A retrofit building would be hard pressed to provide the necessary archival standard for conservation and preservation.

In Harry Baglole's letter on Jan. 5, he stated that a provincial museum should be housed in a purpose-built building located in a setting near woods or the shore. I would like to put forth the idea of Stratford's waterfront as the perfect location.

Central location: The IRIS Group's heritage study recommended a museum be centrally located to make itself accessible to the highest number of visitors. Stratford is in the capital region, and is now connected to Charlottetown via public transportation. The location has the added attraction of sitting on the bank of the Hillsborough River, a designated Canadian Heritage River.

- Space: Stratford's waterfront has adequate space not only for a museum and provincial archives but also for car and bus parking. The location would provide dramatic views of the harbour and Charlottetown's skyline.

- Government presence: The provincial government has demonstrated its commitment to the concept of 'one Island community' by finding new homes for government departments. As the third-largest municipality in province, there is a conspicuous absence of government presence in Stratford. Locating the provincial museum in Stratford would go far to address this deficit.

- Showcase opportunity: A purpose-built museum has the potential to be an architectural gem, reminiscent of the Canadian Museum of Civilization across the river from Ottawa. A provincial museum on the Stratford waterfront would be highly visible from Charlottetown and the Hillsborough Bridge. The design of a museum should be a drawing card in and of itself.

- The future: At some point, a marina is planned for Stratford's waterfront. Both municipalities would benefit if summertime tourists were able to take a pedestrian ferry from historic downtown Charlottetown across the Hillsborough River to the provincial museum in Stratford. A ferry could even complete the triangle, connecting to Rocky Point (Port la Joye/Fort Amherst) before returning to Charlottetown.

Before a location is chosen for the wrong reasons, let's hope the province follows the IRIS Group's recommendation and allows a professionally led study to recommend the preferred site for a provincial museum and archives.

Doug Kelly is chair of the Stratford Heritage Committee.
28/01/09

Two projects worth supporting

2009-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR as published in The Guardian, Jan 21, 2009
Editor:

It is not often that leaders like Premier Ghiz and Mayor Lee have a chance of a lifetime to make decisions that will be remembered for generations to come.

Two related concepts and projects are available to them that would leave a legacy far beyond the norm. The proposed concepts and projects are founded on desegregation over segregation, diversity over uniformity, and inclusion over isolation.

Project number one: build the provincial museum as a centrepiece on the experimental farm property which would be the first step in the development of an inclusive people's park with gardens, playing fields and outdoor venues for all ages, all economic levels, and all backgrounds and beliefs.

Project number two: reconstruct the Dominion Building into a variety of living spaces from large apartments to small studios. A people's co-operative where the traditional and non-traditional families reside side by side. A place with living spaces for young families and elderly citizens, and kids and pets. A home where wealth is measured by kindness rather than by dollars.

Infrastructure money should be applied to more than just roads. Let some of the funds be used to support projects based on societal needs.

Sterling Stratton,

Charlottetown

Orwell Corner offers such a site

2009-01-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

As Published by The Guardian Jan 10, 2008

Editor:
In response to Harry Baglole's letter in The Guardian on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, 'Deja vu - all over again'.

He indicates that "a provincial museum should be located in a lovely natural setting, near woods or seashore and with ample parking in the vicinity for fleets of school buses."

One would wonder why he does not mention that such a site had been prepared at Orwell Corner, which I understand was the original planned location for this structure.

The land was cleared, a large parking lot was made and a new road was constructed. This site is in a lovely natural setting, has a picturesque view and has access to the Trans-Canada Highway.

Louise MacLeod,

Uigg

Déjà vu - all over again

2009-01-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

As published in The Guardian - Jan 5, 2008
Editor:

The recent lobbying efforts by various Charlottetown folk to 'shoehorn' the provincial museum entity into a recycled Dominion Building contains, for me, a strong element of 'déjà vu'. In fact, it reminds me of the not-so-distant effort of the previous provincial government to provide a rationale for moving the artifactory to Murray River. In both cases, the facility (new or recycled) and locality came first; and the museum element was seized upon as a means to other ends, developmental and political.

But (attempting to put the horse before the cart), perhaps we should dare to think - to dream - more ambitiously. How about a brilliant purpose-built new building, designed by a modern-day William Critchlow Harris, and located in a lovely natural setting, near woods or seashore, and with ample parking in the vicinity for fleets of schoolbuses. There are, indeed, several such locations available in the Greater Charlottetown area.

Given the present economic down-turn and the stated intention of governments, pretty well everywhere, to 'spend' our way back to prosperity, there may never be a better opportunity to obtain major federal funding for such an undertaking. Suddenly, there's a lot of 'buzz' about large amounts of money becoming available for new buildings and 'infrastructure' generally.

Besides - I'm sure that creative minds can come up with other dynamic and appropriate culture-related purposes for the born-again Dominion Building.

Harry Baglole,

Bonshaw

Dominion Building as a museum?

2008-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

The Guardian - EDITORIALS - published Dec 22, 2008
The old capital landmark is front-runner in search for provincial museum building.

The grand old lady of Charlottetown may have a lot of years left in her yet with suitors aplenty knocking on the door. The latest group to court the former Dominion Building, a landmark in the capital city for over 50 years, is a firm assessing the site for a provincial museum.

Lundholm Associates, a firm which specializes in planning and designing museums, is assessing the feasibility of converting the building into a museum site. It's important to stress that the future use for the former Dominion Building has yet to be determined. But when government said recently it was looking to locate a provincial museum in a central location, the first site on many minds was the six-storey structure on lower Queen Street. A Canada Lands Company spokesman said that many members of both the public and provincial government have commented the facility is "an absolutely perfect site" for a provincial museum. The huge building would certainly have other uses, yet to be determined.

The building was once the main post office for the city and housed most federal agencies and offices for many years. The structure was declared redundant and replaced by the new Jean Canfield Building. It needs a major facelift and modernization before it can be re-occupied. It's a huge structure of 53,645 square metres on a .72-hectare site, or 176,000 square feet on 1.5 acres.

And it will take a lot of money to bring it up to modern specifications. Who will be able to come up with the kind of cash needed to bring the building well into the 21st century?

When city heritage activist Catherine Hennessey held a 75th birthday party earlier this fall, she made a point of having the party on the top floor of the old federal building with a sweeping panoramic view of the city as the sun set. It was a special sight staged for the benefit of some key movers and shakers in the city and province, to hammer home just how special a location and building exists in the heart of the downtown, and how essential it is for the city to keep the building in use. Hennessey and her supporters would like nothing better than to have the building converted into a museum.

The province is stressing that proper planning is needed for a new museum facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of the people of P.E.I. But there can be little doubt that the building is among the front-runners as the location for the provincial museum.

Earlier this year, Canada Lands Company sent out 25 packages across the country to those companies and individuals expressing a desire to purchase and develop the building. So there is considerable interest in the building and care must be taken to ensure it's used properly in the future.

An open house held last January identified office, retail, institutional, hotel, residential and cultural uses such as a modern public library, archival and museum services. Other options include a hotel and condominiums but that would not necessarily complement the heritage district. The CLC is hoping to have people back in the building in 2010 which doesn't leave a lot of time to plan and to ensure the building continues to be an integral part of a vibrant downtown Charlottetown.

This is good news for Island heritage

2008-11-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

The province's commitment to a centrally located provincial museum is a step in the right direction.
- editorial as published in The Guardian - 24, Nov 2008

The provincial government wasn't able to give many details, but its announcement recently that it's committed to creating a centrally located provincial museum is significant news. It means those who've long called for such a facility - and with good reason - will finally get their wish. All Islanders, their children and grandchildren will be the beneficiaries.

Prince Edward Islanders have a well-developed appreciation of their heritage and culture, judging from the array of heritage sites across the Island, and the communities and heritage groups that actively support them. While many of these sites - Orwell Corner, for example - have their following of both visitors and Islanders, the lack of a centrally located provincial museum means there's no one general site to showcase and celebrate Island heritage and to display its many artifacts.

The announcement a week ago by Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram puts the province on the right path toward finally creating such a site. But there are some unanswered questions that stand out: Where will it be? What would it consist of and what would it display? How much money will government put toward fulfilling its commitment? Ms. Bertram did say she'd like to see the museum open within "the next few years", so picking a site and coming up with the cash to create a museum are clearly the next pressing issues to be decided.

Ms. Bertram has her job cut out for her. As one of many ministers around the cabinet table - all of whom will be arguing for their share of the spending pie during these uncertain economic times - she'll have to keep trumpeting her government's commitment to a central museum so it doesn't fall off the agenda.

Province commits to creation of central museum

2008-11-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

David Keenleyside, left, executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, Philip Macdonald, vice-chair, and Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram, announced Friday the province will commit to creating a centrally located provincial museum and will also work to develop a heritage strategy. Guardian photo

by JIM DAY as published in The Guardian, 15th of Nov, 2008

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.

Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.

Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.

“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.

Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.

The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.

The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.

But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.

Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.

Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.

She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.

The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.

“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’

That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.

“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’

More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.

Other recommendations in the report include:

- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association

Protecting our heritage with a vengeance

2008-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

by CHARLES MCMILLAN - Commentary
as published in The Guardian - Oct 23, 2008

Every generation, Islanders take a refreshing look at policies and legislation affecting this province’s glorious history, heritage, and natural landscape. As the summer-fall season closes, and almost 1.5 million visitors leave the Island, it is appropriate to examine the province’s entire approach to culture and heritage, and how best to preserve and exploit the Island’s ‘way of life’. The Ghiz government is now dealing with potential new directions for heritage policies, including a much-needed storage site for the Island’s collection.

Hopefully, the issues will be dealt with on a non-partisan basis and address ideas and suggestions with a long-time horizon, perhaps up to 10 years or more.

Successive governments, from the Conservative administrations of Walter Shaw, Angus MacLean and Pat Binns to Liberal administrations of Alex Campbell, Joe Ghiz, and now his son, Robert Ghiz, have cultivated policies towards the natural environment — shorelines, parks, protected areas — as well as heritage buildings, archeological sites, and provincial museums.
Indeed, the entire province is really a national park, with plants, animals, birds and trees of immense beauty. Jacques Cartier, perhaps the first European to write down his thoughts on the Island, touring the entire north shore on July 1, 1534, referred to the climate, land, and landscape, “the finest land one can see, and full of beautiful trees and meadows, the fairest that it may be possible to see.” George Brown, a celebrated Father of Confederation who also tried to wrestle with the Island’s transportation challenge when he returned to Charlottetown in 1865, called P.E.I. “as pretty a country as you ever put your eye upon.”

By my count, there are seven categories of the Island’s heritage landscape: lighthouses, churches, community and provincial museums, sites-in-waiting (e.g. the Julian Jaynes-Admiral Bayfield House in Keppoch), Parks Canada historic sites, natural historic sites (e.g. Greenwich, North Cape Peat Bog and archeological sites) and National Historic Sites.

The IRIS Group, a consulting firm that produced a welcome study on heritage policy and justified the need for additional resources (money, staff and facilities), did not provide financial estimates, either on a low- or high-budget scenario. My guess of required funding for capital plus annual upkeep, ignoring the source of the money, is about $250,000 minimum for lighthouses ($10,000 operating per site), $3 million to $4 million for churches ($10,000-$25,000 operating for some 60 heritage churches), $50-100,000 for 16 community and provincial museums ($25,000 for operations), $500,000 for natural history sites, and $2 million per year for national historic sites.

This capital budget, about $10 million in total, is not entirely about provincial funding. Or federal-provincial funding. Or about a separate line item in the provincial ministry of culture and heritage. Why? First, the Island’s heritage landscape is an enormous drawing card for provincial tourism (a $350-million industry) and the associated small business sector, including restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfast, and provincial tours.

Second, as the poor, rural areas of Maine and New Brunswick readily indicate, decrepit buildings and farms isolate communities from economic vitality, including the capacity to attract business and associated land values.

Third, while there is a natural economic magnet towards cities, especially Charlottetown where most government and professional (law, finance, academic) activity is located, the drawing card is the Island itself, including the rural lifestyle and heritage that truly create the Island way of life — fresh air and water, thriving villages (e.g. Rustico or Montague), family values, and a real sense of community.

Clearly, the government should devote more resources to the Island’s heritage, perhaps doubling the present expenditure of $2 million, and reducing the amount spent to attract new businesses (but also spending more on skills training) — the Maritimes’ sinful weakness.
The government could also change the incentives to invest in heritage, such as the following. For churches, whose real estate is not taxable, introduce a regulation that encourages heritage preservation, or lose the tax advantages.

For certain kinds of heritage buildings, provide public money on a cost-shared basis, say 25 per cent public (perhaps in kind, like roads, culverts, and bypasses) and 75 per cent raised privately, by individuals, volunteer groups, or communities. In certain areas, lighthouses, heritage signs, and outdoor interpretive signs allow the Island’s high school students to learn the tools of manual training to overcome the woeful shortage of trained workers.

And finally, given some of the new subdivisions, force Maritime Electric to bury wires in the Island’s soft ground, with the goal of copying from Scandinavia the idea of underground wiring — the heritage equivalent of the Campbell government getting rid of ugly billboards in 1973.
Heritage is a public good. Once lost, it is difficult to get back. Thoughtful Islanders should protect our history and heritage with a vengeance.

Charles McMillan, raised in Charlottetown, is an economist and professor of international business at York University in Toronto. He is author of Eminent Islanders.

Recommedations - Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island Draft Report

2008-10-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

While Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island
Draft Report, provides the context for all recommendations and should be consulted, this compilation is being posted to provide the recommendations as a list:

Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island
Draft Report

1. We recommend that responsibility for heritage remain in the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Division, that it be strengthened by giving it greater clarity and profile of mandate, that it be given sufficient resources to realize its mandate and provide leadership and expertise on heritage matters provincially.

2. We recommend that heritage concerns be given greater consideration in the decision-making of the Province by:

• Tasking the Council of Deputy Ministers with the development of measures to give heritage concerns a higher profile in the decisions of the Province

• Making heritage impacts become more prominent in the Environmental Impact Assessment process

• Requesting that the Commissioner on Land and Local Governance (announced in the April 4, 2008 Speech From the Throne) develop mechanisms for the protection of heritage features in unincorporated areas as well as in communities that do not have official plans

3. We recommend the development of a three-to five-year capital funding program to improve the condition of the buildings at the seven Provincial Museum sites and to invest in new, high-quality exhibitions at the sites. Further, a budget and plan should be established for ongoing operations and annual site maintenance for these Provincial sites.

4. We recommend that the Government provide sufficient base-level funding to Provincial Museum sites to enable all of them to remain open a minimum of two months longer to accommodate school visits and the tourism shoulder seasons.

5. We recommend that the provincial government increase support to the community museums by expanding the standards-based community museum operating grant program and administer this program in partnership with the Community Museums Association.

6. We recommend that the Province make greater use of existing landscape protection legislation; include more public education, building local capacity and heritage expertise in related areas; and develop new mechanisms to encourage owners in heritage preservation, including better financial incentives such as tax accommodations, loans, grants, and outright compensation.

7. We recommend that the powers of the Heritage Places Protection Act be used more effectively to promote and regulate the protection of heritage property, especially in the designation of places, and coordination of the Act with enhanced planning and development control legislation.

8. We recommend the appointment of at least one full-time Heritage Officer within the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.

9. We recommend, in light of the pending discontinuance of federal government funding, that a plan be developed for future management of the Historic Places Initiative.

10. We recommend the following actions regarding administration for archaeology:

• Immediate proclamation of the Archaeology Act, preparation of the necessary regulations and the undertaking of adequate publicity and
enforcement

• Reconsider the 150-year BP (Before Present) time limit as a qualifier for designating sites and artifacts, so that the natural and cultural historic importance of the site or source is the deciding factor

• Greater use by the Minister of the power to designate or temporarily designate archaeological sites in peril, and a reconsideration of the legislation to allow the Minister to extend the initial stop-order period if necessary

• Specification in the Regulations for Permit Applications that the applicant is obliged to carry out a conservation evaluation of the site prior to excavation, and to demonstrate that appropriate conservation support can be provided for excavated materials

11. We recommend that the Government of PEI undertake a professionally-led study that:
• Identifies the functional requirements for a new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives
• Projects the financial costs associated with building and operating a new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives
• Assesses potential locations and recommends a preferred site for the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives

12. We recommend that changes be made to the existing crown corporation, renaming it the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives (PMA); that the corporation be governed by a Board of Governors that includes the minister (or representative); that the board report to the minister; and that the corporation be given clear responsibility for management of endowment funds, governance of the provincial museum sites and management of tangible and intangible provincial collections of archival, natural, and cultural history materials.

13. We recommend that the Board of Governors of the re-mandated corporation, drawn from the various communities of interest, should be a policy board and would be responsible for administering endowment funds, including those to be transferred from the PEIMHF. The Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives should report to the minister through the Board.

14. We recommend that the Government of PEI develop a human resources plan that gives priority to and sets out timelines for filling the need for additional capacity in the following areas: curatorial (natural history, archaeology, and architectural history), conservation (artifact and archival), archives, and education.

15. We recommend an updated provincial museums and archives collections policy to meet professional standards and broaden cultural representation in collections; as well as an acquisitions policy to delineate collections mandates among the provincial heritage institutions with criteria to ensure each collects according to its mandate.

16. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives curatorial and conservation staff meet with Aboriginal representatives to determine how best to assist in building capacity for care of and access to Aboriginal collections, both in provincial collections and in their communities.

17. We recommend that a provincial conservation policy be developed, and that assessments be prepared by conservators for each provincial museum site and the Public Archives to identify critical collections care needs. We further recommend that the Government provide the necessary support to address these needs.

18. We recommend that purpose-built museum and archival storage facilities for the provincial collections be provided to replace existing storage. We further that recommend conservation facilities and equipment be provided as part of the new PMA.

19. We recommend that the proposed new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives take the lead to develop joint action with UPEI, to collect, preserve and make accessible to the public the intangible heritage of the Island, including the creation of a sound and film/video recordings archives.

20. We recommend that the Province review and develop provincial cultural policies and programs in consultation with cultural communities to help promote PEI’s intangible culture by:

• Improving co-ordination among cultural programs, and including diverse cultural perspectives into mainstream projects, such as heritage sites, landscape and architectural conservation.

• Liaising with representatives of the two main Aboriginal organizations in PEI, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI and the Native
Council of PEI, to ensure equitable representation of Aboriginal culture.

• Increasing support to community programs for recording and preserving intangible heritage in areas like traditional knowledge, arts, dance, music and languages of diverse Island cultural communities like Mi’kmaq, Francophone, Lebanese, Scottish, Irish and recent immigrants communities; and in consultation with cultural communities, explore the possibility of a government office for multi-cultural affairs and policies.

• Supporting cultural venues, such as those provided by the rural community halls, and Aboriginal and Francophone and other

21. We recommend that natural heritage be more fully integrated into the seven sites of the existing provincial museum system, as well as the proposed new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives

The provincial natural heritage collection be expanded

Natural heritage curatorial expertise be added as a priority as noted in the Human Resources section of this report.

22. We recommend that the Province mandate the proposed Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives to conduct research necessary for exploring, interpreting and revising knowledge about Prince Edward Island and to tell a more complex version of the Island story. We also recommend that the PMA pursue opportunities to establish partnerships with individuals and institutions to conduct research that contributes to the objectives and programs of the PMA and other similar institutions.

23. We recommend that the provincial government mandate a role for education in the new PMA, so that for the benefit of students and the wider community, contact is maximized between institutional educational representatives, Island schools and the community at large.

24. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives provide permanent and temporary exhibition space and support facilities for the provincial collections to meet the highest professional standards and practices in exhibition concepts and design.

25. We recommend that an interpretive master plan be developed to identify the key natural and cultural themes that constitute the ’Island story’; and that protocols are established to ensure appropriate cultural representation and collaboration so that the story is inclusive.

26. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives expand its resources and services to serve the public interest in genealogical research by establishing a Family History Room, and by collaborating with non-governmental genealogical organizations to the same end.

27. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives, the Department of Tourism, and the heritage community work together to target the Island diaspora in promotion and programs.

28. We recommend that the “Island Studies” course mentioned in the Speech from the Throne (April 4, 2008) include environmental awareness and the importance of local citizenship and the global community. It should be offered in all high schools.

29. We recommend that the Province encourage Holland College and similar educational centres to explore providing training in traditional trades in order to make such occupational options more available and to ensure succession in areas that are part of Island heritage.

30. We recommend that the Province create a provincial heritage strategy; take immediate steps to address some of the most pressing needs recommended in this report; and prepare annual reports on the progress in implementing the new provincial heritage strategy during its first five years.

Immediate (within eight months):

• Develop a heritage strategy to guide government action
• Make more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation (e.g., Heritage Places Protection Act to protect heritage places; proclaim the Archaeology Act and develop regulations)
• Strengthen and clarify the mandates regarding administration of provincial heritage resources
• Give more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process
• Establish the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives as a re-mandated and enhanced heritage crown corporation

Short-term (one to two years):

• Build capacity throughout the system -- which involves developing a human resources plan, and hiring professional curators, archivists, conservators and an educator. These professionals will initiate programs within the existing infrastructure and plan future facilities, programs and policies
• Undertake a study for the proposed new PEI Museum and Archives facility to identify functional requirements and financial costs, and to recommend a preferred site
• Increase the operating funding to the seven provincial museum sites to expand their operating season and improve programming
• Increase support for community museums through the Community Museums Association
• Develop collections policies
• Develop mechanisms to protect natural and cultural landscape and built heritage through the use of economic instruments
• Develop an inclusive interpretive master plan integrating natural and cultural themes in consultation with cultural communities

Medium-term (three to five years):

• Develop a capital funding program for the seven provincial museum sites
• Ensure the new PMA fulfills the natural heritage mandate of the Museum Act
• Move personnel and stored collections into the new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives facility

Long-term (six to ten years):

• Continue to build, conserve and manage collections, while developing exhibitions, programming and educational resources
• Maintain the physical infrastructure

The chairs enhance the square

2008-10-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

by KATIE MCINNIS
Charlottetown
as published by The Guardian Oct 14, 2008
Editor:
In response to the letter from Darlene Hughes about the chairs in King’s Square (‘These chairs no bargain’, The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2008): these are accurate representations of chairs made by famous Charlottetown furniture maker, Mark Butcher, and as such, are works of art — pieces of sculpture meant to enhance the cultural spirit of the city as well as honour an historical figure. They are a unique method of showing off the creativity of our city and much more appealing than a sculptured figure of the person.

I live across from them and I love them. There are not meant to be comfortable seating and yet I often see people sitting on them. I have watched people posing beside them and taking pictures. Artistic taste is subjective, but these chairs, so wonderfully accurate in every detail, are beautiful. They enhance King’s Square and are worth every penny. I commend Kim Devine and city council for taking this project on and for all of the wonderful projects happening to enhance the visual appeal of downtown Charlottetown.

Bronze chairs adorn square as tribute to furniture make

2008-10-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Agnes MacInnis sits of one of the five bronze chairs that are in Kings Square in Charlottetown. The City of Charlottetown spent just under $13,000 on the chairs, which honour a former city councillor and businessman from the 1800s. Guardian photo

by DAVE STEWART
The Guardian - published Oct 2, 2008

Five large bronze chairs now adorn a historic square in Charlottetown as a tribute to a former city councillor and businessman.

The city spent just under $13,000 for the chairs in Kings Square to honour Mark Butcher, who history buffs may remember as a big furniture maker in the 1800s.

Butcher operated a factory on the corner of Kent and Hillsborough streets, now the site of the Maritime Christian College. [note this was later corrected - the building is owned by Central Christian Church and operates as a christian education centre.]

Coun. Kim Devine, chair of heritage, said Butcher had a very strong presence around Kings Square and the idea arose to design bronze sculptures that honour some of the furniture Butcher was known to have created.

“Residents in the area were very interested,’’ Devine said of talks that have gone back a year.
“Now we need a interpretive panel explaining who Mark is, what he did and why the chairs are in Kings Square.’’

In addition to chairs and other types of furniture, Butcher also designed caskets.

The factory, which he bought in 1869, was destroyed by fire in 1887. The brick building, which replaced the Butcher factory, still stands today.

Devine said in 1867, the factory employed 40 people. In 1874, 20 additional joiners and cabinetmakers were needed.

One of his employees specialized in designing figureheads for ships while another was good at making coffins.

In addition to Butcher’s retail store in Charlottetown, he also had branch businesses in Cardigan and Georgetown.

“I think this is a great way to promote city art and celebrate a talented artist in our history as well as beautifying one of our lovely city squares at the same time.’’

The Island Heritage Draft Report is now available for Review

2008-09-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Now available -- follow the link to access the Island Heritage Draft Report which is now available for review.

P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation seeking public's input

2008-09-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

STAFF
published by The Journal Pioneer Sept 29, 2008

The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is looking for public input into two projects of historical significance to Prince Edward Island.

The Prince Edward Island CN Pensioners, in partnership with Service Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island, are conducting an interview-based project titled, CN Pensioners: Stories of the P.E.I. Railway.

The objectives of this important project are to collect and preserve an oral history of the railroad on Prince Edward Island, to recognize the valuable social and economic contribution made by the former railroad and by those who worked on it, and to establish a searchable oral history record that may be available to the public at large for future research.

The work will be conducted throughout the province and is based out of the Museum and Heritage P.E.I. administrative offices at 2 Kent St., in Charlottetown.

For more information, or to offer information, please contact Project Manager, Barb Morgan at 368-6600.

The second project is called "Heritage Garden Project at Beaconsfield Historic House."

Officials at Beaconsfield Historic House are planning to develop the garden and grounds to an historically accurate garden style popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Research into the history of the grounds of Beaconsfield and horticulture in Charlottetown during this period will continue through until November.

Project manager Dr. Elizabeth Schoales invites anyone with photographs, records, or memories of the grounds at Beaconsfield as they once were, or of Victorian or Edwardian horticulture in Charlottetown during that period of time, to contact her at 368-6600.

For more information on programs and services of The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, contact (902) 368-6600, mhpei@gov.pe.ca or www.peimuseum.com

Losing whale remains to B.C. should spur on action for provincial museum: Scott

2008-05-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andrew Trites, team leader for the blue whale project in Norway, rests his foot on the whale’s skull. The opening near his foot is the whale’s brain cavity. Transcontinental Media photo by Eric McCarthy

DAVE STEWART
as published in The Guardian May 23, 2008

The former executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is hoping the province will soon find a home for prized collections such as the 26-metre blue whale currently being exhumed in western P.E.I.

Ian Scott said he is saddened to see that, once again, the Island is silently surrendering a piece of its heritage.

The blue whale, which washed ashore 20 years ago, will be shipped to a museum in British Columbia.

Scott said the attention being given to this whale might be just what is needed to jump-start talks of a provincial museum, one that could house such a display.

Four years before this whale was buried, the P.E.I. legislature passed the Museum Act giving a mandate in natural history to the Island’s provincial museum, known as the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.

“Fulfilling the mandate, definitely that’s a concern at this stage,’’ Scott said. “Twenty-five years later that mandate is still not being fulfilled. They still haven’t hired a curator.’’

When it comes to provincial museums, the province offers Beaconsfield, Eptek, Miscouche, Green Park, Orwell Corner, Basin Head and Elmira Railroad Museum.

“We have created the wheel but we have not strengthened the hub. The whole artifactory issue was central last year. Sure we had the art in place for over 35 years and it has served a function for temporary storage but it’s very inadequate.’’

Scott believes losing something as precious as a monstrous 26-metre whale might draw attention to the need for a major museum.

“You start to realize we do have something the world is interested in,’’ he said.

David Keenlyside, the current executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, is out of province this week and was unavailable for comment.

If the province ever did find the space, there is certainly no shortage of whale carcasses to choose from across the province.

Don McAlpine, curator of zoology at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, said numerous whales are buried in P.E.I.

“There are other whales buried over there, no blue whales that I’m aware of but I know there are a number of sperm whales and there are some, actually, at the same site,’’ McAlpine said, referring to the western P.E.I. site where the blue whale is being exhumed.

Rosemary Curley, with the P.E.I. Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, confirmed a number of burial sites exist.

Nail Pond, near the western tip of P.E.I., has a plethora of buried whales.

One of them is a fin whale, measuring 62 feet in length, which was buried on Sept. 16, 1994. It weighed 52,000 pounds.

Curley said there are also a couple of humpback whales buried at Lakeside (near St. Peters). In fact, these burials were preceded by a burial service prior to interment. She said other burial sites include Tignish, South Lake, Basin Head and Wood Islands.

“Quite a few of them have been stranded over the years,’’ Curley said.

She said it’s interesting to note that whales are the property of the federal government when they’re alive but belong to P.E.I. once they’re dead.

Whale of a gift from the people of P.E.I.

2008-05-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

ERIK KLASSEN
Commentary as published in The Guardian - May 23, 2008

It was certainly surprising to read Mike Currie’s comments as quoted in the article ‘Dead blue whale a ‘national treasure’ (The Guardian, May 17, 2008), particularly when, at the time he was first told of the upcoming project over a month ago, he expressed little concern and his present concerns would seem to be the result of realizing the amount of media coverage the project was receiving.

Regrettably his view is based on few facts and even less prescience. In 1987, when the whale washed ashore, its burial was paid for by the national Museum of Nature in Ottawa on the condition that it would be able to reclaim the skeleton at some future time. Had this not happened the whale would almost certainly have been cut into pieces and disposed of at sea.

Subsequently the Museum of Nature concluded that its current premises weren’t large enough to contain the skeleton and an agreement was reached with the Museum of Nature and the province of Prince Edward Island for the skeleton to be displayed in a $3-million atrium at the $50-million Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre, currently under construction at the University of British Columbia.

The skeleton of the blue whale will be prominently attributed as being a gift of the people of P.E.I. where it will be seen by thousands of people and will generate continuing and invaluable publicity for the Island. Also overlooked by Mr. Currie is that one of the major activities of the Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre is marine conservation, the importance of which to coastal provinces such as P.E.I. can hardly be overemphasized.

Since the considerable skills needed to repair the broken bones, replicate any missing parts and articulate the skeleton exist at the University of British Columbia but in relatively few other places in Canada, Mr. Currie’s suggestion that the skeleton be kept here is disingenuous as he does not address who would pay the minimum $1-million cost to prepare and display the skeleton even if it was exhibited in a concrete block warehouse or storage building.

For Mr. Currie, rather than focus on the significant benefits that will accrue to P.E.I. from the project, to suggest that the skeleton should be used as a minor local tourist attraction seems somewhat shortsighted under the circumstances. Fortunately the writer has yet to run into anyone who shares Mr. Currie’s rather parochial view.

Erik Klassen of Charlottetown is a volunteer for infrastructure and fundraising for the University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre.

Exporting our heritage

2008-05-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

LETTER OF THE DAY as published by The Guardian - May 20, 2008

Editor:

As we watch the drama unfold near Tignish to transport the bones of a blue whale to become the centrepiece of the University of British Columbia's new Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre, we learn of what an amazing creature is leaving this Island.

While this example of the largest animal that have ever lived on Earth, is being prepared for its trip west, I am saddened that once again we are silently surrendering a piece of our precious heritage to those who appreciate the educational value of this spectacular creature.

Four years before this whale was buried, the P.E.I. legislature passed the Museum Act giving a clear mandate in natural history to our provincial museum, known as the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. Sadly, this natural history mandate has seen as much daylight as our unfortunate friend, the blue whale, over the last two decades.

One would hope that the current government, which was elected with a clear commitment to provincial museum development, will soon be articulating a vision on how this mandate will unfold. The Island Heritage Study conducted by The IRIS Group for government will soon be released and we can only hope that this study will also help in setting a future direction.

It was the Daily Examiner of Feb. 28, 1883, that reported on the ancient reptile fossil discovered by Benjamin McLeod while digging a well in New London. Identified by Francis Bain as Bathygnathus borealis, the rare fossil was sent to the Museum of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, which like UBC today, cared enough to ensure the precious item would help educate both the public and researchers.

Hopefully the endless donation of prize parts of our heritage to collections elsewhere will cease as the full mandate of our provincial museum becomes a reality and and not a just a hopeful wish of our legislature.

Ian Scott,

former executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundatio

Piecing blue whale skeleton back together will take some time

2008-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

ERIC MCCARTHY
Transcontinental Media

as published by The Guardian, May 16, 2008

NORWAY — Not even a coating of Vicks or Tiger Balm in the nostrils will prepare diggers for the stench of a rotting blue whale.

“When the smell gets too bad, you’ll have to get out and go upwind from it for a while,” says skeleton articulator Mike deRoos.

DeRoos is in Norway, near Tignish, helping prepare for the recovery of bones from the skeleton of a blue whale, which has been buried there for nearly 21 years.

Once all the bones have been washed, packaged and shipped to British Columbia, it will be deRoos’ job to piece them back together so the skeleton can be put on display in the atrium of the University of British Columbia’s new Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre. DeRoos is confident the skeleton will be a great teaching tool for UBC and a great draw to the museum.
He said the university is taking possession just in time, suggesting the whale would be unsalvageable if left in the ground much longer.

There will be broken bones in the carcass, deRoos said. Some would have broken when the whale washed ashore. Moving it to its burial spot would have damaged some bones, too, and the animal’s crushing weight would have caused damage.

“The skeleton is designed to swim in the ocean,” he explained, not to support its weight on land.
DeRoos is part of UBC’s 10-member team that will co-ordinate the recovery of the bones in a project that’s expected to wrap up by next Friday. It will take some time until the bones are put back together and are on display.

“If we’re really lucky, probably a year and a half.”

Before deRoos starts piecing the bones together, he’ll have to soak each individual piece in enzymes to extract the whale grease, and then bleach the bones in sunlight.

Also on site is Mark Halpan, an artist and contractor. It will be his job to repair broken bones and replace missing pieces with Plaster of Paris or hydrastone.